So here I sit, a few days after arguably the most historic mandate in our times was made: the landslide victory of Barack Obama, elected as our 44th president. I think back to what a long, strange trip it’s been indeed: Mr. Obama announcing his candidacy in Illinois so long ago, a place we lived for 10 years before coming to the East to raise our family; the primaries where I took both my daughters ages 10 and 5 to vote with me (for Hillary, I might add); and all the excitement leading up to last Tuesday.

I like to think of myself as a reasonable adult, in a creative and fulfilling career, raising my daughters with the love of my life and best friend, lucky and sane on lots of counts. But the ferocity with which I threw myself into electing Barack Obama was shocking.

These last months I should have done so many other things — laundry mainly — but any slice of time I could deem free, I was in front of the computer checking up on my reliable websites like Huffington Post, Politico, CNN among others to see what was up in the election that day.

More smears? A new outrageous claim by the Republicans that Barack might actually be Osama Bin Laden? The latest take from Sarah Palin about what constitutes a real American? Some of what I could find was ridiculous, some of it thought-provoking… but baby, all of it highly addictive.

I could not get enough of this election! I read every paper, listened to NPR religiously, even watched Fox News to see what they thought–I’m nothing if not fair and balanced! Long after people in line at the Market Basket were sighing exhaustedly and saying they couldn’t wait for it all to be over with, I had to admit silently to myself that I couldn’t wait to get home and see if the red and blue map on my Yahoo election dashboard had changed in any way. Continue Reading »

Today’s New York Times has an article that talks about how the 2008 race for the White House “fundamentally upended” the way presidential campaigns are fought in this country. Part of that is because blogs and the internet have played a greater role this time around. But what’s more, the electorate has changed because of efforts by the Democrats to register and turn out new black, Hispanic and young voters, the Times says.

I see the change at the grassroots level, in my own family. Both of my two kids are too young to vote, but both are far more aware of the candidates and the issues than I ever remember them being – or than I ever remember myself being, for that matter.

My middle school daughter is an Obama supporter, and she’s been wearing her Obama button on her backpack since September. My teenage son – a little less committed, a little more alternative – nonetheless has been reading political bloggers and consuming tons of political videos on YouTube. They watched the debates, they watched Obama’s infomercial, they talk to their friends about who they are supporting and why, and I overhear their conversations from the driver’s seat. Both of them voted in mock elections at their schools yesterday, and discussed the results at dinner last night. (Obama took both.)

Some of this is clearly trickling down from their parents. But at the same time, it seems a reflection of a broader trend: Kids are becoming more civic-minded.

In politics, in the environment, in social issues, it seems my kids – and yours – are seeing the world with a broader view. They are interested. They see the world positively, at least in that they want to get involved, and they have decided they can make a difference.

At least, that’s what I’m observing, at my house. What about you? Do you see the same kind of interest and involvement from your own kids?

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Ann Handley heads up content at MarketingProfs and also writes her acclaimed personal blog, A n n a r c h y: Subscribe to A n n a r c h y here. It’s really fun to follow her on Twitter.